Articles By: John Schlageck

I recently read a public-service ad circulating by the American Academy of Dermatology that lists five ways to die on a golf course. The five ways include: hit by a golf ball, run over by a golf cart, whacked by a golf club, struck by lightning and forgot your hat. While none of these possibilities is pleasant to contemplate, the […]

Several images surface as we dust off our memories of rural Kansas from years gone by. Red barns, silver-steel windmills, cream separators, harvest crews, Burma Shave signs and certainly the outhouse come to mind. Many people have tried to describe (or forget) the typical Kansas privy, but each was as different and original as the men whose job it was […]

Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system. I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt.” —Dr. Charles H. Mayo Worry has been labeled the root of all evil. It has also been linked to farm accidents. Worrying about finances, weather or personal problems while operating powerful farm […]

A century ago when this state consisted mainly of farm and ranch families, it was a common sight to see neighbors helping neighbors. They swapped farm machinery. They loaned labor back and forth to work harvest thrashing crews. A barn raising presented another opportunity for friends to help build and support the community. Kansans have always been an active bunch. […]

Kansas Farm Bureau Farmers and ranchers strive to protect our planet each and every day. On April 22, nearly 2 million agricultural producers will celebrate the 45th observance of Earth Day with the rest of us who live in this country. Like each day’s sunrise and sunset, some take this land for granted. Conserva­tion of our planet can be a […]

Used to be every farm in Kansas raised chickens along with cattle and swine. This wasn?t just country folks either. Town and city families often raised their own chickens, too, especially if they lived in rural areas. I?ve been visiting farms across our state for more than 30 years and I can count on one hand the number of working […]

Travel on our highways and country roads should be a two-way street. Motorists and farmers alike need to be cautious during the busy spring farming season. Seems Kansas farmers are always doing something in their fields. No matter where you travel in our state you?ll probably wind up approaching farm tractors, trucks and other large ag equipment on the roads. […]

Today, almost half of the state?s 2.9 million people live in five counties. Four are located in eastern Kansas and one in south-central Kansas. More than 1.4 million Kansans reside in the counties of Douglas (111,000), Johnson (544,000), Leaven?worth (76,000), Sedgwick (498,000) and Shawnee (178,000). This demographic snapshot illustrates how important it is for farmers and ranchers to speak on […]

Think of farmers and ranchers and this old, often forgotten tribute comes to mind. It fits farmers like seed in the soil or ranchers like a new-born calf takes to its mother?s udder. A man?s greatest possession is his dignity and no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming. Hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a […]

Talk to farmers, stockmen and ranchers and most will tell you how much they love their cows. Problem is this humble and in most cases easy-going beast rarely receives the praise associated with the noble show horse or one of the so-called smartest creatures, the squealing pig. Fewer and fewer people extol the virtues of this contented creature that spends […]